National Geographic: August 2010

Take a Stance Against the Slaughtering of Dolphins

Bored on a Sunday night, I was endlessly flipping through the channels trying to find something to pique my interest when I saw "The Cove", a documentary about the annual slaughtering of dolphins in Taiji, Wakayama in Japan.

"The film highlights the fact that the number of dolphins killed in the Taiji dolphin hunting drive is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic, and reports that 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan every year in the country's whaling industry. The migrating dolphins are herded into a hidden cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats."

This annual hunt for dolphins is to sell these mammals to marine parks and aquariums for revenue. The dolphins that don't make "the cut" are therefore slaughtered in the cove where their meat are sold in supermarkets posing as expensive whale meat.

Most Japanese people do not know of this practice that is happening in their country, and not only is it unjust to slaughter innocent animals, but a problem in mercury consumption also poses a threat. "In June 2008, AERA, a Japanese weekly journal, reported that the whale and dolphin meat sold in Taiji contained a level of mercury 160 times higher than normal, and that the hair of a local sample of eight men and women had 40 times higher mercury levels, based on a research conducted by the National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD)." Mercury is known for causing neurological damage, and is most dangerous to pregnant women's fetuses, causing deformities.

"The Cove has enjoyed success across the globe, winning awards from all corners of the world, winning over 25 well-respected film awards. Some notable awards include "Best Documentary" from the Environmental Media Awards,[59] Three Cinema Eye Honors [60] for "Outstanding Achievement", the “Golden Tomato Award” from the critic website rottentomatoes.com,[61] and the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature on the 82nd Annual Academy Awards."

Find out more information on thecovemovie.com. Here is a clip of the brutal slaughtering of Japan. I know it's not eye-friendly, but this is a serious matter: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa9dn8_dolphin-slaughter-in-japan-video-pa

ALL SOCIAL CHANGE COMES FROM THE PASSION OF INDIVIDUALS!!!

You Just Do You, Imma Do Me

CamiLLe

Should Ex's Keep in Contact When in a Relationship?

What is the best dividing line between an ex-bf or ex-gf? Sure there can be numerous reasons why the relationship doesn't last, but is it appropriate to still keep in contact with your ex? How about when the boy or girl is presently in a relationship; do the same guidelines apply?

I know there can't be sufficient research for this, but some of the points I have found online address both sides of this issue...

"As long as your relationship with your ex is one of a platonic nature, there really shouldn't be a problem. If your current mate is comfortable with you and your ex's friendship, and your ex respects and acknowledges that you've moved on with someone else, everything should be fine! :D"

"You can keep in touch, but not in a sexual way. Keeping in touch doesn't mean calling every day, or even every week. Calling to say hi and such once every few months is fine, but too much contact is not cool. I keep in contact with my ex's but through email just seeing how things are. Main thing, just let your current know that you keep in contact with your ex. You don't want to be hiding something like that. It's a HUGE trust issue :)"

"wrong....big time how would you feel if your new man still spoke/saw his ex!!!!unless you have a good reason then leave the past in the past"

"I'm guilty of that sometimes, but I think it's wrong because those feelings that at one time attracted you to that person could take hold at any time. I only view it as talking to a friend, but yeah, I think it's a bad idea."

"By keeping in touch, if you can become friends and let each other know about what went wrong (that includes admitting you were at least partly to blame) you might be able to prevent it from happening again. but never i repeat NEVER try to hide any relationship with someone from the opposite sex from your new man, because then he will totally have a reason to think you're cheating (even if you aren't)."

"A situation like this is really dependent on what your clear intention is for maintaining contact. I suggest you ask yourself the following questions and answer honestly...
1) what am I wanting in keeping contact with my X?
2) If I do, am I respecting all the people I love and care about (will i hurt someone else)?
There is no right or wrong answer...it is what you do with the situation. Do it honorably and with no expectations."

From my point of view, I don't see it appropriate to keep in contact with an ex because that's the past and you can't relinquish what's already been done. I admit having some contact with an ex when the break-up was fresh, but I knew that keeping contact in each other's lives would cause more damage than good. To completely get over someone, no matter how bad the break-up, I feel you need to cut off complete contact. If you still have that person in your life, there's always going to be some feelings involved, whether it is only platonic. But this issue can affect your future relationships as well and damage it in an unexpected way.

In every relationship, a boundary should be involved. If your partner doesn't feel comfortable with it, then it's best to dispose of the issue before you find yourself arguing over stupid issues. Even though there has to be some level of trust, how conniving would it be for your partner to find out you still were talking to your ex behind their back? This therefore causes more mistrust than was actually intended. Respecting one's wishes in a relationship go both ways, the best way is to ask yourself internally if you'd be comfortable if your partner was doing the same things your doing. You don't want to break something that could potentially be something great; if you completely refuse to cut off ties, then you most likely do have some feelings for your ex still. If that's the situation it's best to break off ties with your current partner and be single until you figure out what relationship you really value for your future.

Even though there are no feelings involved, I recommend cutting off all ties completely, then maybe in the distant future, keeping tabs on each other wouldn't be so bad. Let me know your point of view on this issue...

You Just Do You, Imma Do Me

CamiLLe

My First Time in VEGA$

What a weekend in VEGAS!!! While I was preparing myself for the hot weather (over 100 degress), I was not preparing myself for the amazing and unforgettable things I was about to experience. Many think of Vegas as "Sin City", but in my time there, I saw it as a place alive with people and beauty. Set amongst a desert landscape, Vegas to me is very exquisite with their vast amount of hotels, each flaunting their own specific theme = GENIUS.

After settling in at our hotel in Imperial Palace, we were approached by a promoter who basically made our weekend. Now being 21 AND in Vegas, I got to go to many clubs and events that many aren't able to accomplish within a weekend's time.

*TAO* - First night, we got hooked up with free drinks and table at Tao nightclub in the Venetian. Due to some issue regarding a friend's id, we ended up coming back there at midnight. Though we lost our privileges of table and free drinks, we still got VIP access and walked in right away. Tao is an Asian-inspired club that is very big. It has a sultry feel with its dimmed red lights throughout the club with Buddhist-type statues. Being in the VIP area didn't allow us to interact with the packed crowd in the club, especially since we were dancing on an elevated part of this area. Tao Thursdays is very packed yet the atmosphere is very lively with others getting their party on in Vegas. The music is very good and everyone is literally dancing in there.

*DITCH FRIDAYS* - Next morning, we went to Ditch Fridays at the Palms pool. This was really fun because it's a really big pool party that included perfectly heated pools, sunny weather, swimsuit attire, great music, and mixed drinks. Finally a place with no creeps because everyone is here for a good time. Friendly people everywhere just partying and dancing=AMAZING.

*JET* - We came here for the open bar exclusively for ladies 10pm-12am. Inside, Jet had different rooms that played different music catering to specific preferences. The main room played a variety of songs: old school and some up-to-date, but more so on the old school side. The next room played exclusively hip-hop: old school and "new school". Overall this club was a good variety, just seemed to be composed of a more older crowd.

*RAIN* - Nightclub at the Palms, where rapper FABOLOUS performed that night. At 1:30am we caught the performance just in time and made our way in the packed club all the way to the front. For the well known performer like FAB, he was on stage was about an hour, which exceeded my expectations. He performed basically all his songs and was friendly with the crowd, slapping hands every now and then - including MINE :). Rain was set up like a mini performance space with a stages and platforms that exuded fire every now and then. Though we left right after the performance, the club had a lively and more young adult-type crowd.

*MIDSUMMERS NIGHT PARTY* - This annual Playboy party took place at the Palms Pool, it was hosted by Jenny McCarthy and Kevin Dillon's (Drama from Entourage) birthday bash. The theme this year was Roman/Greek inspired, with gods/goddesses galore. The Palms Pool was beautifully decorated, and the crowd followed the theme with gladiators, statues, and masks galore. The crowd was very mature, and everyone was really friendly - very beautiful women, and rich men (hahahahhaha). Everyone was very sociable and the music was great. We didn't alot of celebrities, but a few were present that we passed by in their cabanas.

Overall, Vegas was INSANE. I found myself very exhausted coming back to the hotel room every night, but my experience here is very memorable for sure. Vegas left an impression of classy-ness and fancy-ness. No better way to go here than to do it EXTRAVAGANTLY ;)

You Just Do You, Imma Do Me

CamiLLe

Are Women's Accomplishments Down-Played in History?

This post was inspired by a book my roommate of my junior year in college, Gaby, gave me as a historical fiction book called "Pope Joan" by Donna Woolfolk Cross. I don't want to typically write a book review, but this book is so amazing. Being a female, in today's still male-dominated world, I feel inspired and empowered. This specific book has me pondering the question if there was such a person who existed in history such as Pope Joan. Here are some facts left to question:

*The Catholic Encyclopedia contains the name of Pope Joan-the woman who disguised herself as a man in the 9th century

*There are more than 500 ancient manuscripts containing accounts of Joan's reign as pope, including authors such as Platina, Petrarch, and Boccaccio

*There are more stories of the existence of Joan than King Arthur, but the male version of the middle ages dominated

*Those who have wrote about Joan were Catholics highly placed in church hierarchy. Though the Church says she was a late invention of Protestant reformers eager to expose corruption in papacy, Joan's documentation precedes hundreds of years before Martin Luther was born

*Pope John XX changed his title to John XXI in recognition of Joan's reign as pope

*Joan's statue stood undisputed along other popes in the Cathedral of Sienna until 1601, when Pope Clement VIII "morphed" it into Pope Zacharias

*For more than 300 years, Joan's story was included in the official church guidebook to Rome used by Pilgrims

True, there are no contemporary chronicles of Pope Joan, but lead this to the fact that in the 9th century when Joan lived, fully diminishing any record account of her papacy was easy. Additionally many people at this time in history were illiterate anyways, so there were a select few people out of all whom existed at the time who could read and/or write. Thus, Joan's story would have been more efficiently passed through word of mouth. If you question this, did you know that there was no contemporary chronicle of Jesus - St. Mark, the first gospel ever written was 40 years preceding the death of Christ, yet we consider Jesus to be a universal figure.

Women for a long time, especially in the ninth century when Joan lived through was a time of predominant masculine power. By law, women had no legal or property rights, husbands were allowed to beat their wives, rapes were treated as a form of minor theft, and mentrual blood was treated like poison. A woman who had an education was seen as unnatural and dangerous: the more she learned, the less likely she could have children.

This is why some women who did not follow the accepted norms went out of their way to disguise themselves as men. To further the story of Pope Joan, there are other women in history who followed this route:

*St. Hildegund used the named Joseph to become a brother of Schonau Abbey

*Mary Reade was as a pirate in the early 18th century

*Loreta Janeta Velasquez took the name Harry Buford to fight for the Confederacy in the Battle of Bull Run

*Teresinha Gomez of Lisbon spent 18 years disguised as a man - a decorated soldier who rose to the rank of general in the Portuguese army

There may be countless numbers of women who have and are still to this day taking on a masculine appearance in order to not be discriminated against. One quote that stood with me in "Pope Joan" was from Joan's mother Hrotrud, "Never give yourself to a man." Women in society have a great obligation to marry and bear children throughout history, but what about to have their own identity in the pride of their own distinguished career. How much more accomplished would we feel if we became successful through our own terms and finances instead of through a man's? Pope Joan, despite her emotions toward her lover Gerold, had followed this route of not surrendering to her womanly desires and impulses to the best of her abilities. Not following what was expected of a woman, and seeking out her own destiny, she found herself educated and successful amongst the male dominated world.

Though ignorance may point out to religion to distinguish the dominant male role and the lesser female role, there is a little section of the book which pointed out the story of Adam and Eve, where I will end this post upon:

Adam was made out of the clay of the earth - Eve was made second, from Adam's side

Woman was created in Paradise - Man was created outside

Eve ate the apple for love of knowledge and learning - Adam ate the apple because Eve asked him to...

You Just Do You, Imma Do Me

Camille

Do Celebrities Get Special Treatment for Misconduct?

What defines a celebrity? Not really a clear definition other than someone famous that is always in the media. But there's a very big line between celebrity treatment and ordinary person treatment when it comes to misconduct.
Recently Lindsay Lohan was in court and sent to jail for violating her probation. She was supposed to have a pretty big sentence, but ended up staying locked up for what like a week? And now in rehab. Same goes for Paris Hilton.
A pretty big one was Chris Brown who tarred his image with the physical violence act toward ex-gf Rihanna. Now we've all seen these pics, and it wasn't just a little bruise. In the end, Chris Brown was sent to jail, but ended up paying out his own bail which gave him no served time locked up.
This has been a pretty big debate on whether celebrities have preferential treatment because of their involvement in the media. But is this fair to show how celebrities can not serve proper time locked up. Is this a proper way to show rightful punishment for wrongdoings? I know another reason why they have been locked up for a short amount of time is because of overcrowding. Though celebrity crimes are not as serious as others, its still not right to make such a media frenzy of it ->this shows that it is okay to have preferential treatment. This is another reason why these celebrities keep on committing these misdeamenors...they're always locked up, going to rehab, etc for the same things.
Ok, let's face it, the perk of being a celebrity is constant media coverage, though not always favorable. If you do get in trouble with the law, you get a lighter sentence; and if your in any other trouble, you get a little slap on the wrist. If your a famous AND good-looking celebrity then find yourself with no trouble ahead, you will get away with it. There will never be a sufficient answer to this issue, but there are some trends to help us answer this question.

You Just Do You, Imma Do Me

Camille

Is Tourism Good or Bad?

In my Econ Anthro class, we saw a video on the effects of tourism. Jamaica is a prime example of a periphery country who thrives on tourism. With the negative effects they face with the impacts of the IMF primarily and World Bank, they find themselves in a situation battling constant debt. Jamaica is known for their beautiful tropical environment and reggae.
But the topic is whether tourism has positive or negative effects. Though the economy is in a recession, the travel industry will never find people who aren't willing to go on a vacation. I will break this issue down into various effects the country faces:
Economic Effects-locals find firms who want to gain profit through the tourist industry by tearing down businesses and homes in the community for the purpose of making room for tourist accomodations. This puts locals in a worse situation where profits to the country are made for other causes.
Political Effects-Though tourism is intended to promote interrelations, it sometimes aggravates relations by pointing out the fact that tourists are from a wealthier lifestyle than the locals who witness these people with their digital cameras and various commodity possessions.
Social Effects-Though tourism helps bring income into a country, locals become dependent on making money through these means rather than depend on themselves for hard-earned money.
Cultural Effects-tourism provides an open window for visitors to see how locals live in their traditional environments and what customs they take on. But sometimes having tourists visit breaks this traditional cycle in a harmful way in which locals want to throw away their customs by seeing new technology brought upon them.
I know these effects side on the more negative point of view, one great benefit from tourism is that it helps us appreciate each other for our own distinguished differences. It's fascinating to see other countries and cultures, and to see the impact of the interaction between every background.

You Just Do You, Imma Do Me

Camille

National Geographic